Easy Thai Noodle Soup with Chicken
For anyone who’s a regular reader of my site and makes my recipes, you know that I love Thai food and never miss a chance to recreate a Thai restaurant quality meal at home with no hassle, no fuss, and just great tasting results. Which perfectly sums up this soup! You’ll find an abundance of shredded chicken and tender rice noodles in the broth which is made with Thai red curry paste, creamy coconut milk, and plenty of fresh seasonings and herbs including ginger, garlic, basil, cilantro, and green onions. Everything plays a role to add texture and layers of rich flavor to this easy soup. Best of all is that this easy Thai noodle soup with chicken is made in one pot, comes together with easy-to-find ingredients, and it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
Ingredients in Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
This quick and easy Thai chicken noodle soup recipe is made with easy-to-find fridge and pantry ingredients (check the Asian foods area of your regular grocery store or big box store) including the following:
- Namely this Thai Chicken Curry Soup which is on the thicker side with chunks of sweet potatoes, bell peppers, and juicy chicken.
- And I also have a Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup which has a plentiful quantity of coconut milk-based broth along with chicken, carrots, spinach and more. How do they differ from today’s soup? Easy! Today’s soup has noodles and the other two don’t. And who can resist slurping down a bowl full of Thai chicken noodle soup!
Olive oil or coconut oil White or yellow onion Cloves of garlic Ginger Thai red curry paste Low sodium chicken broth Water Full fat coconut milk Rice noodles (sometimes called ‘stir fry rice noodles’) Cooked and shredded chicken Lime juice Fresh herbs: basil and cilantro Green onions, for garnishing Salt Pepper
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
What’s the Best Kind of Chicken to Use in Thai Chicken Noodle Soup?
For this Thai rice noodle soup, you’ll want to use previously cooked chicken that’s been shredded or cubed. I recommend the following: I personally like shredded chicken breasts best in this recipe. Although if you want to use a mix of dark meat along with white based on your preferences, go for it.
What Coconut Milk Should I Use for Thai Noodle Curry Soup?
You want to use one 13.5 to 14-ounce can of full-fat unsweetened coconut milk. Full-fat canned coconut milk will give you a much richer overall mouthfeel, texture, and the soup will simply taste better than using lite canned coconut milk, although it will technically still ‘work’. Make sure to use coconut milk that comes in a can and not the kind in a carton in the refrigerated section of your grocery. That’s thinner and what you’d perhaps pour over cereal. Also, do not confuse canned coconut milk with cream of coconut that also comes in a can, which is extremely sweet, super thick (it’s almost pure fat), and better suited for blending up a piña colada than a curry or soup. Additionally, don’t try to use another milk — cashew, soy, cow’s, etc. — instead of canned coconut milk and expect it to resemble a proper Thai noodle soup.
How to Make Thai Noodle Soup with Chicken
Making this red curry Thai noodle soup with chicken is a cinch, is a one-pot wonder, with about 10 minutes prep time and ready in 20 minutes total time. Step 1: To a large Dutch oven or stock pot, add the oil, onion, and saute. Step 2: Add the cloves garlic, ginger, Thai red curry paste, stir to combine, and saute for 1 minute. Step 3: Add the chicken broth, water, coconut milk, rice noodles, cooked and shredded chicken, stir to combine and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, or until noodles are soft. Step 4: Add the lime juice, basil, cilantro, green onions, salt, pepper, taste and adjust for seasoning balance, and serve!
Garnish Ideas
I serve my red curry Thai noodle soup with plenty of lime wedges. And I am not shy about garnishing with plenty of fresh basil and fresh cilantro, as well as green onions, which all add depth of flavor and lend freshness to this warm and cozy bowl of soup. Acid: Along with salt, another very important element to not overlook is the need for an acid to brighten up the overall flavor profile. In this case, freshly squeezed lime juice does the trick. In my classic 30-Minute Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup, I use lemon juice rather than lime juice. In a pinch for most soup recipes, apple cider vinegar will also work just to give it a much needed pop of acidic flavor and wake it up. Don’t Overcook the Noodles: Rice noodles are much more delicate in texture than traditional pasta noodles and will become gummier quicker. Once you drop them into your soup pot, pay attention to what the brand you’re using recommends for a cooking time, but about 5 minutes usually does the trick, and 10 minutes would be the max. Remember that they’ll continue to cook and soften more off the heat as they sit in the hot broth. You may also consider a few dashes of fish sauce, hot sauce, or whatever you love.
Serving Suggestions
For me, soup is always very filling and being that this one has noodles, broth, and protein, it’s plenty for us – especially for lunch or when I’m trying to eat a lighter dinner. However if you want to complement it with some Asian-inspired appetizers or sides, I suggest:
Fresh Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce P.F. Chang’s Copycat Chicken Lettuce Wraps Applebee’s Copycat Chicken Wonton Tacos Southwestern Eggrolls (not Asian) but a Chili’s copycat and would be great with the soup
More Easy Thai-Inspired Recipes:
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